Steve Martin

By Morris Wayne Walker

Book Overview

Documents the wild and crazy years of the superstar of comedy, Steve Martin. This book talks about Steve's earliest days as the class clown through his struggling years on the road to his phenomenal... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 1561719803
• ISBN13: 9781561719808
• Release Date: January 1
• Publisher: SPI Books, U.S.
• Length: 280 Pages
• Weight: 1.28 lbs.
• Dimensions: 1.1" x 6.3" x 9.3"

Customer Reviews

Great book (and a bit of nostalgia)

I knew Steve and Morris in high school and for several years thereafter. The polar reactions in the reviews do not surprise me. It is the way people I knew reacted to Morris - no middle ground. Objectivity on my part would be impossible, so I can't judge the literary merits. But I appreciated the book for the nostalgia trip. Morris has brought back a lot of memories I left back in the sixties somewhere (If you can remember the sixties, you weren't there?) As a member of the "Sound Explosion", I can attest that the stories Morris tells are amazingly accurate and detailed. However, the editing of the book leaves something to be desired. Although my name is in the book twice, it is misspelled both times - two different ways! All-in-all, a great job on Morris's part. Thanks for the memories!

Extreme feelings

This book was real, not the run of the mill celebrity biography expose. It made me laugh and it made me cry, and it touched on every emotion in between. It's one of the best books I have ever read. But I haven't read such diametrically different reviews since Valley of the Dolls. Which, by the way, sold more books than the Bible the year it came out.If author Morris Walker never writes another book, he has made a great contribution to the history of comedy by documenting Steve Martin's life through his own personal close friendship with him. You know when you read it that it's the absolute truth and that's hard to convey with simple words.Steve Martin is lucky to have a friend like this guy.

A riveting biographical account

Steve Martin: The Magic Years tacks the live of one of America's most successful comedians from his birth in Waco, Texas to his successful career as a stand-up comedian, movie star, author, and playwright. Here is a riveting biographical account of one-night stands and multi-million dollar Las Vegas shows, working Disneyland with Morris Walker to a film career that made him an international celebrity. Funny, vivid, candid, as entertaining as it is informative, this is a "must read" for Steve Martin's legions of ardent fans!

Different but Great

Steve Martin The Magic Years is not the very best book I have ever read but I read a book a week. It is certainly is an honest and apparently very accurate book and very entertaining. I read biographies almost exclusively so I didn't get this book because it's about Steve Martin. I just like to read biographies.The book tracks Martin's life from the day he was born and details incredibly funny stories of the author and Martin growing up together. As a reader you feel you are right there with them. But it also relates dozens of stories about Martin that nobody would have ever known. His trials on the road, things about his sex life, and deep private things that were not bad but surprising. Some of the editing is not great but that's not really the author's fault I blame the publisher for that. The writing itself is very engaging and very different from other celebrity biographies. I think it is a fantastic tribute to Martin and evidently he enjoyed it or he wouldn't have written the quote on the dust jacket "Finally, a book about me, I loved this book and fell deeply in love with the central character" Steve Martin.Upon finishing the book I found myself wanting more, and I gained a deep respect for the author who spent many years traveling with his family band doing uplifting shows for children. The fact that he spent twenty two years working on the book also is amazing.What I don't understand is why his superstar friend didn't help him publish the book a long time ago. But I guess that's between them. I would think that anybody that wants to know what Martin is like deep down and personal would not want to miss this book.I've only seen a handful of Martin's movies but now I want to see more because I feel like I know him.It's a great book. I really enjoyed it.Tracy Bowman

A Book No Steve Martin Fan Should Be Without!

Kudos to Morris Walker for such a wonderful book on the life & childhood of Steve Martin! I could not put this book down for a second and will read it again and again! A refreshing look into the person behind the comedy legend. This book takes you into a friendship that started in childhood and still continues today. The stories will have you laughing for days! The author takes you through Steve's childhood, family life, career highs and lows, and the man he is now, all with many funny stories and great memories along the way. After reading this book, I felt like I knew them both personally. If you want to know the "real" story of Steve Martin, this is definitely the book to read! I will treasure this book always!